La Petite Roche Plaza (The Little Rock)

La Petite Roche Plaza (The Little Rock)

This rock outcropping discovered in 1722 by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe was referred to as the"Little Rock" to distinguish it from the "Big Rock" upstream. It is one of the most important landmarks in Arkansas.

Early travelers on their way up the river noticed that this rock marked the transition from the alluvial lands of the East to the rugged hills of the Ozarks and Ouachitas. The rock afforded a natural landing for boats. Travelers along the Southwest Trail which passed through Arkansas from the Northeast to Southwest crossed the river at or near this "Point of Rocks."